To program a function button it is often necessary to perform operating steps that are specific to a particular telephone or switching system. Programming a function button usually involves pressing one or more of the touch-tone telephone buttons either simultaneously and/or in sequence, said programming frequently being performed with the aid of a menu-driven controller displayed on the telephone itself.
Depending on the available number of button functions provided, and depending on the complexity of the menu-driven controller displayed, the programming of function buttons can in some circumstances be error-prone and/or time-consuming, in particular if the user has not only to select the button function but also to enter further information such as, for example, when programming a speed-dialing button, entering a subscriber's speed-dialing call number and also in some known systems a character string that the telephone can display, such as the subscriber's name.